Downspout filter device

ABSTRACT

A downspout filter device having an external conduit with an inlet end configured for detachable coupling with a downspout and receipt of drain water, and an outlet for dispersal of the drain water. A filter element is positioned within the external conduit, thereby defining a channel for fluid communication of the drainwater from the inlet of external conduit, through the channel and to the outlet end of the external conduit. The filter element has a filtering material adapted to remove debris from the drain water and a receptacle for the receipt of debris.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This Non-Provisional application claims priority to United StatesProvisional Application Ser. No. 61/693,627 filed Aug. 27, 2012, andwhich is incorporated herein by reference.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH

Not Applicable.

BACKGROUND

Most conventional buildings include drainage systems to collect rainwater or drain water from the roof and direct it away from thefoundation of the building. Drainage systems prevent moisture buildupthat can enter the building through the foundation. Typically, drainagesystems include gutters, or eaves troughs, mounted along the lip of theroof to channel drain water to downspouts, which direct the water on tothe ground outwardly from the building foundation. Some drainage systemsinclude buried drainpipes connected to the downspouts to direct thedrain water even further away from the building or to a predeterminedlocation, such as a rain barrel or a sewer.

Debris, such as leaves, can accumulate in the drainage system and clogthe gutters, downspouts, and drainpipes. A clogged drainage system canprevent proper operation of the system and lead to damage to thebuilding foundation and the system itself. While gutters are typicallyaccessible for cleaning and maintenance, downspouts and drainpipes arenot accessible without special equipment, such as a plumber's auger,which may be costly. Therefore, a filter device is needed to preventdebris from clogging the drainage system.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the accompanying drawings which form part of the specification:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a downspout filter installed on adownspout;

FIG. 2 is a section view of the downspout filter installed on thedownspout;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a filter element;

FIG. 4 is an end perspective view of the filter element;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged perspective view of an upper connector of thedownspout filter engaged with a downspout;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged perspective view of a lower connector of thedownspout filter engaged with the downspout; and

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the lower connector.

Corresponding reference numerals indicate corresponding parts throughoutthe several figures of the drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following detailed description illustrates the claimed invention byway of example and not by way of limitation. The description clearlyenables one skilled in the art to make and use the disclosure, describesseveral embodiments, adaptations, variations, alternatives, and uses ofthe disclosure, including what is presently believed to be the best modeof carrying out the claimed invention. Additionally, it is to beunderstood that the disclosure is not limited in its application to thedetails of construction and the arrangements of components set forth inthe following description or illustrated in the drawings. The disclosureis capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or being carriedout in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseologyand terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and shouldnot be regarded as limiting.

As shown in FIGS. 1-7, an embodiment constructed in accordance with thepresent disclosure, generally referred to as a downspout filter device10, includes an external conduit 12, an internal filter element 14, anupper connector 16, and a lower connecter 18. The downspout filterdevice 10 connects between a downspout A and a drain B, a gutter, aspout, or other predetermined location, to convey drain water and filterdebris C from the drain water.

The external conduit 12 is preferably a 6″ diameter straight pipepreferably made from polyvinylchloride (PVC), chlorinatedpolyvinylchloride (CPVC), unplasticized polyvinyl chloride (uPVC),Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), copper, aluminum, or othersuitable material.

The upper connector 16 is a reducer fitting configured to increase thepipe diameter size from the inlet 20 to the outlet 22. The upperconnector 16 includes an inlet 20 configured to mate with the downspoutA, a transition portion 23, and an outlet 24 configured for mating withthe external conduit 12. Preferably, the upper connector 16 is aconventional 4×6 reducer fitting having a 4″ diameter inlet and a 6″diameter outlet. The upper connector 16 is preferably made frompolyvinylchloride (PVC), chlorinated polyvinylchloride (CPVC),unplasticized polyvinyl chloride (uPVC), Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene(ABS), copper, aluminum, or other suitable material. If needed, anadaptor 26 couples between the downspout A and the upper connector 16. Afirst end 28 of the adaptor 26 is shaped and sized to mate with thedownspout A and a second end 30 is shaped and sized to mate with theupper connector 16 to enable fluid communication between the downspout Aand the upper connector 16.

The lower connector 18 is a reducer fitting configured to decrease thepipe diameter size from the inlet 32 to the outlet 34. The lowerconnector 18 includes an inlet 32 configured to mate with the externalconduit 12, a transition portion 36, and an outlet 34 configured formating with a drain B. Preferably, the lower connector is a conventional4×6 reducer fitting having a 6″ diameter inlet and a 4″ diameter outlet.The lower connector 18 is preferably made from polyvinylchloride (PVC),chlorinated polyvinylchloride (CPVC), unplasticized polyvinyl chloride(uPVC), Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), copper, or other suitablematerial.

The lower connector 18 includes a support 40 that extends across theinternal diameter of the lower connector to provide support to thefilter element 14 and prevent the filter element 14 from obstructing theoutlet 34. Preferably, the support 40 is a bar sized and shaped to be atleast larger than the internal diameter of the outlet to extend acrossthe transition portion 36.

The filter element 14 is generally a permeable conduit that permits thepassage of fluids from the inlet 20 of the upper connector 16 to theoutlet 34 of the lower connector 18, but restricts the passage ofdebris. In the embodiment of FIGS. 1-7, the filter element 14 includes apipe 42 which defines openings 44. The pipe 42 is preferably 4″ and madefrom polyvinylchloride (PVC), but other materials can be used such as,chlorinated polyvinylchloride (CPVC), unplasticized polyvinyl chloride(uPVC), Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), copper, or other suitablematerial. A filtering material 45 extends at least across the openings44. For example, a wire mesh material can wrap around the entire pipe42, however, other materials can be used, including, but not limited to,metal, plastic, or fabric. An upper inlet end 47 of the pipe 42 isconfigured to mate with the upper connector 16, such as insertion intothe inlet 20 with a slip fit or friction fit. The lower end of thefilter element 14 is closed, such as with a cap 46, thereby defining anenclosure 48 that effectively functions as a receptacle for debris. Thefilter element 14 has an external diameter smaller than the internaldiameter of the external conduit 12 to define a channel 50 between theexternal diameter of the filter element 14 and the internal diameter ofthe external conduit 12.

In operation, drain water flows from the downspout B into the inlet 20of the upper connector 16 and into the inlet end 46 of the filterelement 14. The drain water passes through the filtering material 46into the channel 50 between the filter element 14 and the externalconduit 12. Debris C within the drain water does not pass through thefiltering material 46 and remains in the enclosure 48. The drain watercontinues to flow through the outlet 34 of the lower connector 18 andinto the drain B, gutter, spout, or other, predetermined location. Toclean the filter element 12, the entire filter device 10 can be removed.The filter element 14 can then be removed from the external conduit 12and the debris removed from the filter element 14.

In an alternative embodiment, the filter element can be removed via anresalable panel in the external conduit.

Changes can be made in the above constructions without departing fromthe scope of the disclosure, it is intended that all matter contained inthe above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall beinterpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What is claimed is:
 1. A downspout filter for filtering debris fromdrain water, comprising: an external conduit having an inlet endconfigured for detachable coupling with a downspout for the receipt ofdrain water, and an outlet for dispersal of the drain water; and afilter element removeably positioned within the external conduit,thereby defining a channel therebetween, for fluid communication of thedrainwater from the inlet of external conduit, through the channel andto the outlet end of the external conduit, the filter element having afiltering material adapted to remove debris from the drain water anddefining a receptacle for the receipt of debris.
 2. The downspout filterof claim 1, the filter element comprising: a conduit having an upper endconfigured for mating with the inlet of the external conduit, a lowerend the conduit defining a receptacle for receiving debris, and theconduit defining at least one opening; and a filter material extendingacross the at least one opening, the filter material configured toprevent the passage of debris through the filter material.
 3. Thedownspout filter of claim 1, further comprising an upper connectorhaving a first end configured for detachable coupling with thedownspout, a second end configured for detachable coupling with theinlet end of the external conduit, and a transition portion between thefirst end and the second end configured to accommodate the difference insize between the first end and the second end.
 4. The downspout filterof claim 3, further comprising an adapter configured for detachablecoupling between the downspout and the upper connector.
 5. The downspoutfilter of claim 1, further comprising a lower connector having a firstend configured for detachable coupling with the outlet end of theexternal conduit, a second end configured for detachable coupling with adrain, and a transition portion between the first end and the second endconfigured to accommodate the difference in size between the first endand the second end.
 6. A system for filtering debris from drain waterfrom a drainspout, comprising: an external conduit configured fordetachable connection between the drainspout and a drain; and a filterelement removeably positioned within the external conduit to define achannel between the filter element and the external conduit, the filterelement configured to remove debris from the drain water, and the filterelement defining a receptacle for receipt of the debris.
 7. Thedownspout filter of claim 6, the filter element comprising: a conduithaving an upper end configured for mating with an inlet of the externalconduit, and the conduit defining at least one opening; and a filtermaterial extending across the at least one opening, the filter materialconfigured to prevent the passage of debris through the filter material.8. The downspout filter of claim 6, further comprising an upperconnector having a first end configured for detachable coupling with thedownspout, a second end configured for detachable coupling with an inletend of the external conduit, and a transition portion between the firstend and the second end configured to accommodate the difference in sizebetween the first end and the second end.
 9. The downspout filter ofclaim 8, further comprising an adapter configured for detachablecoupling between the downspout and the upper connector.
 10. Thedownspout filter of claim 6, further comprising a lower connector havinga first end configured for detachable coupling with an outlet end of theexternal conduit, a second end configured for detachable coupling with adrain, and a transition portion between the first end and the second endconfigured to accommodate the difference in size between the first endand the second end.
 11. A method for filtering debris from drain waterfrom a drainspout, comprising the steps of: providing an externalconduit; positioning a filter element within the external conduit,thereby defining a channel therebetween, the filter element defining areceptacle; coupling an inlet of the external conduit to a downspout forthe receipt of drain water, coupling an outlet of the external conduitto a drain pipe; communicating drain water from the drainspout throughthe inlet of the external conduit, through the filter element into thechannel, and through the outlet into a drain; removing debris from thedrain water with the filter element; and collecting debris from thedrainwater in the receptacle.
 12. The method of claim 1, furthercomprising the steps of: removing the filter element from the externalconduit; and removing debris from the filter material.